German OOB for Scenario I am Designing

[OGF Keller]

OK, for a scenario I am desinging, I wonder if there is anyone out there who might know the following:

--What would be the "standard" contingent for a Heer Panzer DIVISIONAL HQ, i.e., vehicles, HQ platoons, heavy weapons/armor, if any (presumably some radio cars and PSWs at least)??

--What would be the OOB for a COMPANY in a Heer Panzer Division -- i.e, mixture of infantry/armor, etc.??

Thanks for any help you can provide...

[Kingfish]

German OOBs (general)

German OOBs, '41

German OOBs, '41 (different site)

German Panzer strength in '41

Heer Panzer divisions (Feldgrau)

[ November 26, 2002, 04:56 PM: Message edited by: Kingfish ]

[Martin Rapier]

Originally posted by OGF Keller:

OK, for a scenario I am desinging, I wonder if there is anyone out there who might know the following:

--What would be the "standard" contingent for a Heer Panzer DIVISIONAL HQ, i.e., vehicles, HQ platoons, heavy weapons/armor, if any (presumably some radio cars and PSWs at least)??

--What would be the OOB for a COMPANY in a Heer Panzer Division -- i.e, mixture of infantry/armor, etc.??

A proper divisional HQ is quite a large formation with all sorts of medical, supply, police, signals etc units. A tactical HQ might just be a few vehicles including a couple of signals.

At a company level, tanks and infantry were not integrated. A tank company had tanks(!) in theory a company HQ of 2 plus four platoons of five vehicles ea, although IRL company strengths were often lower, but in some cases they were overstrength.

Motorised infantry companies were quite complex as they normally had devolved heavy weapons from the battalion weapons companies, but basically HQ section, 3 platoons of HQ plus 3 sections (with 2xLMG each) plus a couple of tripod MGs, a couple of 50mm or 81mm mortars. Lorried troops would normally dismount to fight and leave their vehicles at least 1000m from the battle, troops in APCs might take them into the battle zone.

AT companies consisted of 3-4 platoons of 3-4 weapons (usually towed AT guns until SPAT guns became more prevalent).

As far as possible tanks would be kept concentrated, German doctrine stressing that the minimum unit size they should be committed in was company strength & ideally battalion or regiment. In most wargames tanks seem to get parcelled out in dribs & drabs, after all, what is a WW2 wargame without the odd tank parked around;)

Cheers

Martin

[Berlichtingen]

German Panzer Division HQ, 1941 (K.St.N. 51)

HQ: (10 officers, 12 Staff Officers, 37 NCOs, 102 EM)

Division Guard: (3 NCOs, 12 EM, 2 LMG)

Motorcycle Platoon: HQ (3 mcl), 6 sections (5 mcls each), 1 section (1 mcl, 5 mcl w/sc)

Motor Pool: 1 mcl, 1 mcl w/sc, 5 light cars, 5 medium cars, 4 Kfz 12, 1 Kfz 21, 1 Kfz 2/40, 5 light trucks, 7 medium trucks, 2 light buses, 1 medium bus (converted for office use)

[OGF Keller]

Originally posted by Berlichtingen:

German Panzer Division HQ, 1941 (K.St.N. 51)

HQ: (10 officers, 12 Staff Officers, 37 NCOs, 102 EM)

Division Guard: (3 NCOs, 12 EM, 2 LMG)

Motorcycle Platoon: HQ (3 mcl), 6 sections (5 mcls each), 1 section (1 mcl, 5 mcl w/sc)

Motor Pool: 1 mcl, 1 mcl w/sc, 5 light cars, 5 medium cars, 4 Kfz 12, 1 Kfz 21, 1 Kfz 2/40, 5 light trucks, 7 medium trucks, 2 light buses, 1 medium bus (converted for office use)

Wow!! I didn't think it was THAT big!!

In my first pass, I guessed a half dozen trucks, but just two Kfz's (not 6!), and I thought basically a couple of platoons of infantry at most! And many fewer cars.

What does "EM" stand for??

Also, any suggests about representing the buses??

[PvK]

EM is for "enlisted men", I think. Sub-NCO's.